Lansing resident Vickie Miller leaned against a bus stop with her yellow umbrella in hand, listening to the blues and watching a man and a little boy dance around on the pavement.
Despite Friday’s rain, she wouldn’t miss the Old Town BluesFest for anything.
“I’ve come the last few years,” she said. “I like the blues and the atmosphere. Lots of us have our own style, and nobody else really wants it, but I like seeing all the different people who come out. I like watching people getting into it.”
Blues fans from across the area came together for the 19th annual Old Town BluesFest on Friday and Saturday to make new friends, eat food and listen to some Blues beats.
Setting up
BluesFest once was a part of a bigger music festival called OctoberFest, which started in 1994.
When the festival began, local nonprofit MessageMakers became its founding business sponsor. Today, MessageMakers runs both BluesFest and JazzFest.
MessageMakers founder and President Terry Terry said the organization has a festival committee that meets monthly to plan the events.
“This is an ongoing thing,” Terry said. “Within a month of the festival, we start talking about next year’s. A lot goes into it.”
He said that the festivals have become important for the community and given it recognition over the years.
“This festival put Old Town on the map,” Terry said. “The exposure made people see that it’s a great place to live, work and play. It’s a great area.”
Singing in the rain
Since its start in 2002, the BluesFest stages have welcomed acts such as Smokin’ Joe Kubek, Junior Watson and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. The Automatic Blues Band returned to the festival on Friday for the first time since their BluesFest performance in 2005 and welcomed young and old alike as they performed on the Bud Light Stage.
Bassist Eric Hamilton said his favorite part of performing at the festival is the energetic fans it brings.
“It’s not just for the fans, but all of the musicians here are like one big family,” Hamilton said. “This is like our reunion; (it’s) a family event.”
The Automatic Blues Band was joined by 20 other performers over the two-day festival, and despite the rain, fans joined in by dancing and singing along.
“Good music, good food, good people, good atmosphere,” Hamilton said.
The fans
Over the years, Terry said BluesFest has become a place for people from all walks of life to meet.
“Our mission is to bring people together through the arts and make an environment where people can see old friends and make new ones,” he said.
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Lansing resident C.J. Thomason said although the music alone is enough to draw people to the festival, it is coupled with great food, drink and people. He said the festival caters to a musical audience that often is not addressed.
“It’s the best chance to hear great blues music,” Thomason said. “We don’t have any place here that plays it enough. The music diversity and the timing is great between the bands on the different stages. If nothing else, come down for the food.”
Sarah Jennings, who came from England to visit her aunt, said she was impressed by the turnout.
“It all seems very joyful,” Jennings said. “My aunt volunteers here, and it’s cool. The food is great, so I’d definitely come back again.”
